The former boss of a man who has accused a top city businessman of repeatedly assaulting him sexually has called the complainant “dishonest” and “a comedian”.

David Beardsley, who used to employ the man to clean the cars of former Royal Naval officer Charles Howeson, added that his former worker was an “idiot”.

The former car valeter has told a jury that the defendant “humped him like a dog” in 1994. He said that he was laid off by the valet firm but kept on privately by Howeson to clean his cars and do other odd jobs around the house.

Howeson, aged 68, is on trial accused of indecently touching young men and a boy between 1985 and 1994.

The former lieutenant-commander allegedly touched two men inappropriately on board a Royal Navy ship in 1985.

He went on to grope a young man who lived close to him at a former home in Plymouth and the car valeter there, the jury heard.

Howeson, then executive director of the Groundwork Trust, allegedly touched seven men who worked for the charity. Its premises were visited by the Queen in 1992.